Pressure sheeting of dough



Dec. 14, 1948. J. BUECHEK 2,456,371,

' PRESSURE SHEETING 0F DOUGH Filed Sept. 16, 1943 I 2. Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR Jaw/v ZI/ECWEK.

Dec. 14, 1948. J. BUECHEK 2,456,371

PRESSURE SHEETING OF DOUGH Filed Sept. 16, 1945 1 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENT OR.

- I a/m/ 305mm.

' fir ENE/5.

Patented Dec. 14, 1 948 K r 2,4563%; v

rlmssoen ;-snemm orpouan assignments, orient;

0, Ind, assi nbr; by mes ne -half to erner-lean Bakers Ann ia on'sememne 16, fisii serie fi 59 .4555

43:61aims. -1

This invention relates to ap aratus for eon tinuously forming a sheet or ye st type dough of predetermined thickness and Widt;

*T-h chief object of the present nvention "is to continuously form a yea-s t dough sneer, sheet may be subsequently rolledup, folded, -or otherwise manipulated by machinery or manually to produce a *wide variety of bakery produets.

The chief feature or the prese'n t inventio 13esides in the pressure discharge of the yeast dough from a throat, same blh'g at "least sufiibi'htly elongated to prevent ballooning or swelling incident to sheet pressure discharge and press'ure release.

Another feature of the present invention re sides in the-use'o'f ai'r u-ndernre'ssure, or an inert gas, :or when desired, an active gas (same "Dos sibly :zbeing desirable for certain or ipartieular doughs).

further feature :of the present invention resides in the elongated sheet-discharging :throat whereby the swelling or ballooning of the yeast dough sheet incident to its pressure formation is prevented. a t

7 .Other objects and features of the inventien will be set forth morefu-llflhereinafter.

that the sheeter herein disclosed 1 8 5? 2be substituted for, the heater and immediately subsequent rolls, illustrated "and described in .-.oope1f1:ding application set. 4141.60 ,filedjocjt 1 1941, and entitled Bakingdouhrqlling inaq e, allowed April '5, 1943, and issued as Patent no. 2,337,539, dated December 28, 1943.

The full nature of the invention Willflbje understood from the accompanying drawings iandthe following description and claims: In the drawing Fig. 1-is a side elevation df'adualreservoir bodiment of the invention.

Fi 2 is an end view-thereof. Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the main plate, die and throat; i

Fig. 4 is ."a, longitudinal sectional vied/thereof. Fig. 5 is aside elevation of-asingle'funnelfstruot'ure.

Fig. 6-is a plan view thereof. 1 In the drawings I'll indicates an endless belt to which the sheeter device dischargesthe dough sheet and H the sheeter fram'e'base straddling the intake end and upper run thereof. v above is the housing l2 which moiihtsjthe felon ga'ted throat l3 below which Qinopposed :r'elz'agtiqpn are the discharge ends of theair funnels "f4; The dough sheet discharging from the -'lony .Way of furtherexplanat'ion it Inay bestated her" 1" gated throat has heated air discharged thereto which ra s enac on said sheet; both front and or top and bottom, having reference to the belt :m so that suohdough sheet is in pom ditionror handling. "In this instance the" heated air does not serve asa lubricant tor :theishe'et betas a skin rior'mer lonthe tacky dough sheet.

' RiQlfi with itheithroat l3 and from :Which depends is the top plate 15. ntxnpposit'e isiides thereof and sinreierabh .parallel to ebjelt to same we ways 4:6 in which is mounted scross head itype pla ter!!! ihavingat ea'ohside thenpwardly extend,- 1112133151165 518 for the support of .the :dizai .'reser-- vbl'lr'salii. Y. 1

These two reservoirs are .cfabrioated as J2. .unit and have inclined bottoms 2-D directed ztowardsi eaehlothenp, lEa'ch :reservoir terminates in anxiutlet 2| to which reference will be had later. A bracket 22 (rm-housing .4 2 arotatablv:sunportsslsraft 26 tel: inati-ngcin'shand wheel atone endand .g.Bl.t' f TQ jd.*QQTfiOI-'l. e215 threaded the. t 16 migid with relate HI. ,As Ethe 311 11951 no at d, @thepla-te 5 5 and rth r ser oir a {h -mo ed m-sa d i la s .and when desir d this newe ma h d sconnected b op nin th v .12 (WW6 etii r ed the reser oi s rem ved fo el m? t e leo a d renalsavi-b emvi le T ee ctie e t h :1. can. :5- U il1 f9n reservoir 'is loaded, the device operation initiate d a h 39 J :ii eeeeefi n th M11 re er oi i thi eedefie the Qi firs s rv 'i l s -esesqe l e at i l h whe lsh theqi e i servqi ibr t threa re tre'fi fw tha e sh t roman is :93 tiniious. While ,the ;second reservoir .isdischargieei h firs eeeme h edem. ,A cover 1310 ,0 ,man-

the: i thrs de lins se dr ri t d, i 1%- b acke l m e es'e o'i ,Hee ivheeusaj down elejasfes head? toifree sa neidf aiinitfii'l. Eachireservoir is} arlveguinped. f lB Ithe fo sa' mee h cover 310 is r sjuri i a st t i l is n ed "pitm'an or rod 3'0 the lower end of wh Two levers 4| are shown for the two covers I and these are of dissimilar length, the longer being offset at 4m to clear the shorter one, and permit independent operation of either without interference. When pressure lock 3lb-34 is released, the appropriate lever arm 4i is raised to lift the cover from opening 29 and when arm 4| is seated in offset 4'! of slot 46, the cover will be maintained in elevated position to permit filling 1 of the reservoir. Closing and sealing of the reservoir is the reverse of the aforesaid. I Each reservoir I9 has a pipe 48 entringsame near its upper end. This pipe is the pressure line.

It also supports gauge 49 and the depending portion 50, include regulating and cut off valve Both lines 49 are connected asat 52 and the intake end; 53 isconnected to a flexible conduit or hose 54in turn connected .to a rigid pressure supply. line 55 which may be valve controlled.

During reservoir filling valve 51 is closed. During dispensing it is opened. Usually about pounds pressure. is satisfactory to discharge dough from the outlet 2 land through throat l3. The yeast type of dough, if its rising action is to be temporarily'inhibited, may have pressure applied-to the filled reservoir even though the same at that time be not actually dispensing.

Since both portions of the reservoirs are similar but reversed, and same are suiiiciently illustrated herein, no further description of the similar; and duplicated parts is believed necessary.

Reference will now be had toFigs. 3 and 4:.

Therein is illustrated the stationary plate l5 over which slides plate I! having openings therethrough to which outlets 2| connect. Plate l5 includes a single opening 60 which is tapered as at 6|. Therebeneath are spring latches 62 having handles 63 and carried by the under face of said plate as at 64." 'The'throat member I3 is a die having a tapered flange top 65 with-adepending tubular portion 66' externally socketed at each end as at E'lto seat the latches 62 for holding the dieplate' to and in the master plate This die has an opening therethrough as indicated at 68, theupper end being flared as] at B9 to" facilitate dough entrance. Note the extreme length of the dispensing throat. This is intentional. If it were not present pressure fed dough would balloon or swell out and not have the thick ness and width determined bya'nd as of the'die opening. This extreme length of throat insures enough friction on the advancing dough sheet so that by regulating the pressure feed, the dough sheet at the discharge end of the throat, despite pressure feeding of dough to the'throat, is not subject to any appreciable pressure at the end of the throat. consequently does not distend and continues to flow therefrom subject only to grav-f it'y'acting thereon.

Reference now will be had to Figs. 5 and 6 wherein the air blast mechanism is better illustrated. Each funnel i4 is flared as shownand includes therein baflles 10. Each is mounted at ill on shaft 12. Arm 13 also supports the funnel byshaft 14; A thermostat 15 in the funnel controls the heat supplied by an electric heater, if

4 desired, and not shown, which heats air supplied by conduit 16 to said funnels of which there are two and which discharge towards each other and on opposite sides of the downwardly, moving dough sheet immediately below the throat l3.

It will be apparent that when the reservoirs are of belt width, and the several plate openings of similar'or greater width any one of a number of similar die throats may be employed to ob- ;tain sheets of different thicknesses and widths. Also the several throats in addition to varying in width'and length may also vary in depth as found most convenient. Similarly air pressure may .vary from 5 to pounds as required or desired.

As previously explained, movement of the reservoirs to selectively discharge from the selected throat insures continuous sheeting. When it is desired to clean the throat, the empty reservoirs are sufficiently moved to expose the throat whereupon same can be cleaned provided there is no applied pressure.

It is furtherto be noted the funnels are wide enough to pass air across the opposite side edges of the dough sheet regardless of the sheet width or, aspreferred, these funnels may be adjusted to miss one edge. onone side and similarly the other funnel is oppositely offset if desired. Thus a tacky strip at one or both side edges (on opposite sides in this event) can be'left on the sheet.

This arrangement will eliminate the water spray or edgemoistening means of the copende ing patent referred to. As stated, this light flow ofair .(heated desiredv and thermostaticallycontrolled if desired) absorbs moisture from the.

surface of" the dough sheet and creates or. forms a slight crust thereon. This prevents the sheet sticking to the belt, or to itself, when folded, rolled or otherwise shaped upon itself, such shape to be retained in the baked product.

Since different doughs containdifierent degrees of moisturathe heating of the air is regulated as'desired, to provide such crust, etc. Preferably the drying air is supplied under pressure by a fannot shown.

Relative to the funnel adjustments, as stated these may be moved to different distances apart and different distances laterally of each other as described and as required or desired.

' Whilethe invention has been illustrated and described in great detail in the drawings and foregoing description, the same is to be consid-- ered as illustrative and not restrictive in character.

The severalfmodifications described herein as well a'sothers which will readily suggest themselves to persons skilled in this art, all are considered to be within the broad scope of the invention, reference being had to the appended claims.

supporting the unit above the throat and sealing the outlet not registered therewith, and means reclprocating'the unit on the support means for;

selectively. andealternately registering said outisis ea ei ma h id hmat i 2. Apparatus as defined by claim 1 wherein means is provided for regulating the pressure application by the pressure applying means, the latter being singular to each reservoir and said regulating means is individual to each reservoir, and adapted to apply pressure to each reservoir regardless of throat registration.

3. In combination a plurality of aligned reservoirs, each having a bottom closure with a dough discharge orifice, a main frame, a plate carried thereby with a throat having an inlet at one end and a depending outlet, and means slidably supporting the reservoirs upon the frame and with the orifices coplanar with the plate for selective registration of an orifice with the throat inlet and closing of the non-registering orifices,

JO'HN BUECHEK.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent: 

